Book II, Chapter 18
During the Viking Period of AD 793-1040, the Norse explored, traded and settled extensively, using both the seas and rivers as their means of transportation. The Norse longships and skilled seamanship allowed them to travel to locations as far-flung as Mongolia, the African coast of the Mediterranean, and Vinland in the Vestrilands. Skilled and daring sailors would even attempt winter voyages, trusting in their ability to read the weather and the seaworthiness of their ships to avoid and mitigate the hazards of the season.
This tradition of seamanship continued, albeit in an altered form, during the subsequent Dragon Period (AD 1040-~1400), where the old skills in navigation and ship construction continued to evolve…
— The Dragon Millennium, Manna-hata University Press, Ltd.
Tropes That Appear In This Chapter:
- The Chains of Commanding: After Vigdis and her family are exiled, Hiccup asks Stoick how he's able to make such harsh decisions. Stoick explains that a leader has to, out of fear that the job will fall to someone less capable.
- Do You Want to Haggle?: Johann and his friend Basir agree to haggle over Johann's entire stock of Nadder quills.
- Extended Disarming: Heather performs one as proof of her martial skills and for comedy, showing that she's carrying at least half a dozen knives on her person (excluding the last one, strapped someplace where only her lover usually sees it).
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Stoick could not help but notice that Vigdis knew that a necklace was stolen and was used to try and frame Heather (and she knew when it happened), something she would have had no knowledge of unless she was the culprit.
- Mistaken for Prostitute: While it is firmly established that Eochaid and his men have little in the way of respecting women, one of his men tried to rape Heather because they thought Stoick had sent her to them for that purpose, a misunderstanding perpetuated by Vigdis in a plot to get rid of her.
- Motive Rant: When Vigdis realizes there's no talking her way out, she freely admits to the harassment and attempted murder of Heather.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Snotlout/Sigurd's reaction when the reality of the situation he has caused starts to sink in. Forty innocent dragons have been captured by the Romans and their lives are on the line because of him (if he fails to train them, the Romans will most likely kill them).
- Mythical Motifs: The dragons captured by the Romans are based after creatures from Classical Mythology.Hydra, a long-bodied three-headed Mystery-class. Python, a snakelike Boulder-class with wicked jaws. Colchia, a wide-eyed Sharp-class with fangs as long as Sigurd's forearm. Ismenia, a Tidal-class, with scales the size of shields and fangs like swords. Chimera, a two-headed Stoker-class which, Sigurd had to grant, certainly did look like it had been made from a bunch of other animals at first glance; the two heads definitely looked like a lion and a goat if you squinted and ignored the scales. Campe, a Sharp-class, with enough fangs, talons and spikes to make a Nadder jealous. Scylla, a long-necked Boulder-class, and Charybdis, a wide-mouthed Tidal-class.
- Neck Lift: Stoick does this when he finally reaches the limits of his patience with Eochaid. Heather is impressed that Stoick's arm doesn't even quiver, despite the desperately twitching man at the end.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Even if they were being manipulated and told that Heather was a pleasure thrall, Eochaid's man still tried to rape someone on Berk. While Stoick still upholds their new treaty for political reasons (and Heather asked him to as to not ruin future prospects for her sake), he revokes Sacred Hospitality and tells them to leave. Vigdis was exiled and told to leave with them for manipulating circumstances such that the attempted rape happened in the first place, disgusting the Hooligans and the Bog Burglars who were shocked a woman would do that to another woman.
- The Reveal: Vigdis clan Hofferson was the one who tried to have Heather killed and framed for theft, convinced that she doesn't belong on Berk because she was spying on them.
